Wanna know a secret? I’m bored of my Cerave Hydrating Cleanser. I know, right?? I love it, but I have been using it for so long (I just started bottle number 3!!) that I find myself longing for something a little different. I had already started turning my mainly Western routine into an Asian Beauty routine by switching my old sunscreen for a Japanese one, so I figured a cleanser would be a good second step.

Enter Su:m37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick.

I had read about this product on reddit, and bloggers always seemed to rave over it, so I thought I would give it a go.

The Damask Rose (Rosa damascena) is an ancient plant that has been cultivated for thousands of years. Aside from being used to make fragrance and rose water, this rose has a number of other interesting properties. It has been shown to be antimicrobial (especially its oil), a potent antioxidant, and an anti-inflammatory. In addition it contains vitamin C, which in itself is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.

What about fermentation? I did a cursory search of PubMed and I found a few studies referencing fermented herbs and plants and their role in photoprotection, hydration, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging repair mechanisms. The kicker was that all the fermentation goodness was ingested and not applied topically. I’m sure it’s not that much of a stretch to imagine that fermented ingredients applied directly to the skin could have benefit, but more studies are needed.

Assessment:

The Su:m37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick comes in a pink twist up tube, exactly like the glue sticks you used in elementary school. My inner 7 year old gleefully enjoyed smearing it all over my face. The product itself is a pink soft solid with visible pieces of rose petal. It smells like, you guessed it, roses. When I measured its pH with my handy dandy pH indicator strips, it came up as a 6.

I have been using this product for the last four weeks in the morning and the evening. What I do is wet my face with lukewarm water then swipe the stick in circular motions across my forehead, cheeks, and chin. I would then give myself a nice facial massage to work the product up into a little lather. After I had massaged the cleanser around my face for about a minute, I rinsed it off with more lukewarm water.

I have to admit, I was skeptical of the hype around this product. But now that I have tried it, I’m a believer. The cleanser bloomed into a thin airy foam that left my dry skin supple and moisturized without feeling tight or stripped. As you can see from the pictures below, it even removes makeup well—much better than my previous love, the Cerave Hydrating Cleanser. In the four weeks I have been using this product I have not had any negative reaction.

A few rubs with the miracle rose cleansing stick removes a good portion of the eyeliner and almost all of the lipstick.

Voila! After massaging gently the cleanser removed all traces of makeup!

The Su:m37 website claims:

With plenty of foams, this cleansing stick removes wastes without skin irritation and has even a soft skincare effect

Does it foam? Yes, delicately. Does it cleanse and remove makeup? Yes. Did it make my skin feel soft? Hecks yes. This cleanser does all it says it will do, plus it’s a joy to use on your face.

Conclusion:

I love this cleanser. I honestly can’t think of a single negative thing to say about it. It’s a gentle, low pH cleanser that leaves skin soft without tightness or dryness. It lives up to its claims and the hype. I would definitely repurchase, and it has certainly dethroned my Cerave Hydrating Cleanser as Queen of the Bathroom. I can easily see it as a part of my routine for a long time into the future. For the third product in a row, this cleanser gets the Hound of Approval.

Winter, R. (2009). A consumer’s dictionary of cosmetic ingredients: complete information about the harmful and desirable ingredients found in cosmetics and cosmeceuticals. United States: Three Rivers Press.